Relive Final Fantasy XVI’s Most Eikon’ic Fights With the OST Now Available on Streaming Services

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Relive Final Fantasy XVI’s Most Eikon’ic Fights With the OST Now Available on Streaming Services

2024.09.05 UP

Square Enix Music

Tokyo – Japan Following the launch of Final Fantasy XVI on PlayStation 5 in late June 2023,
the response to the game’s larger-than-life fight sequences and accompanying soundtrack was
immediate. Composed by Masayoshi Soken, perhaps best known for his work as sound director
and lead composer for Final Fantasy XIV, the release of the sixteenth entry into the
long-running franchise would prove his first time handling a standalone game in the Final
Fantasy universe.

Now on the coattails of the release of Final Fantasy XVI on PC, fans finally get to experience
the soundtrack to Clive Rosfield’s journey through the twin continents of Valisthea in an all-new
light. Consisting of 199 songs from the base game alone and an additional 18 songs from the
DLC, experience Masayoshi Soken’s creation wherever your adventures may find you.

Before diving further into this, it should be mentioned that for players still waiting to jump into the
PC release of the game, there will be spoilers including character names and key events
included in this write-up. Please take caution before proceeding if you’ve yet to play the game.

Opening the soundtrack listeners are greeted with the sweeping “Land of Eikons”, which serves
as the title theme song to the game. Fusing the long-running series’ iconic progression along
with a voluminous instrumental backing, listeners will find themselves thrust into the warring
world of Valisthea. The Soken-led take on the original theme song aims to deliver an immediate
insight into what players can expect as they progress through the game.

In the story of Final Fantasy XVI, Eikons are seen as entities to worship – almost god-like
beings that are hosted by individuals known as Dominants. Positioned as key players in the
ongoing war across the realm, the dominants play a massive role throughout the story of the
game, with protagonist Clive Rosfield himself being a Dominant.

Given this, it’s only fitting that the theme songs to these Eikons would prove some of the most
central pieces of work within the soundtrack. When stepping into the same arena as an Eikon,
Masayoshi Soken intends to leave little room to breathe, often working to cast listeners into a
dizzying trance with the numerous places he aims to go in a single track. This is best
represented on the Eikon Phoenix’s theme “Away”, a score played out in the earlier stages of
the game, but one that seeks to set the tone for the latter parts of your adventure.

Opening with a chilling orchestral performance and gliding through a series of dramatics, the
Eikon theme for Shiva “Winter’s Bound” offers a fleeting moment for somber reflection, proving a
rare moment throughout the game’s soundtrack where listeners are given a brief moment of
repose before the song breaks through its climax and heads towards conclusion.

A gust of fresh air with a hint of familiarity for Masayoshi Soken’s work on Final Fantasy XIV,
Garuda’s Eikon theme “Control” spaces itself with dissonant chants and commanding
instrumental performances intending to leave listeners on the edge of their seats.

Though one of the shorter themes, “Fall From Grace”, which acts as the Eikon theme for
Ramuh, delivers one of the most important beats for the story of Final Fantasy XVI and is
undoubtedly a track etched into the memories of many players of the game. Its sinister
undertones quickly uplifted into a grand resolution making this one of the more menacing tracks
in this collection.

The boisterous Eikon theme for Ifrit, “Find the Flame” feels like a tumultuous barrage on players
as they enter battle against everything they believed they knew, with the sweeping orchestral
performance found throughout aiming to serve as the ideal accompaniment to Ifrit as an Eikon.

One of the more electronically-indebted tracks on the soundtrack, “Titan Lost”, the theme song
for the Eikon Titan, acts as an in-your-face blast of energy, encapsulating the sheer size of Titan
through the four-to-the-floor production of the song. Aiming to bring this all together, it’s also one
of the few Eikon themes throughout the soundtrack that truly brings vocals to the forefront.

Given the legendary status of Bahamut as a long-running addition to the Final Fantasy
franchise, it’s only natural that its Eikon theme “Ascension” would prove one of the more grand
inclusions on the soundtrack. Giving off an air of holiness to its composition, the choir-like
chants throughout the song glide listeners throughout leading into the song’s epic conclusion.

Looking at our final Eikon theme in the Final Fantasy XVI soundtrack, “The Riddle”, which
accompanies the Eikon Odin, aims to be an adventure of its own, filled with sweeping turns and
dramatic vocal accompaniment marking it as a fitting close-out to the Eikon themes contained
within this soundtrack.

Lastly, while not an Eikon theme itself, the soundtrack comes to a close with the fan-favorite
emotional vocal number “My Star” featuring the vocals of Amanda Achen. A fitting climax to this
rollercoaster journey, the song aims to offer listeners a moment for reflection as they look
forward to a new tomorrow.

Whether you played through Final Fantasy XVI at launch on PlayStation 5, are about to jump
into it on PC, or are even just looking to dig into the soundtrack, the composition put together by
Masayoshi Soken is a journey in and of itself that is finally ready to be shared.

Final Fantasy XVI releases on PC via Steam and Epic Games Store on September 18, enabling
a new platform for players to traverse the emotional story of Clive Rosfield. Simultaneously, the
official soundtrack for Final Fantasy XVI will be available on all major streaming platforms,
offering players numerous entry points into the world of Valisthea. You can stream the Final
Fantasy XVI soundtrack here.